The Long Road Back
by LimitedMage
Summary: The boy still recalled every bittersweet moment spent on that island... truly a tad too intense emotional rollercoaster for a young twelveyear old.


A/N-- This is a story I wrote over the holidays for my IGCSE English class... I was told to write it in "Golding style," but I rather preferred to write it in my own style. It's a bit dark and sad, and I really enjoyed writing it. I just hope my teacher enjoys reading it too. ;-) Well then, here it is. Hope you enjoy it.

**The Long Road Back**

The young boy leaned over the edge, his fair hair shining brightly under the dying sun's rays. The blue blanket that was the ocean covered everything in sight but a small speck of landmass that lay at the end of the world. They would be arriving soon, he knew.

Even after weeks on-board, after months spent on that surreal world of the island, everything that had happened since he was forced to leave his family behind and get on that plane seemed like just another nightmare, a nightmare that would haunt his mind for the rest of his life.

The boy still recalled every bitter-sweet moment spent on that island, the happy beginnings, the tense middle, the tragic ending, the longed-for rescue... truly a tad too intense emotional roller-coaster for a young twelve-year old. Especially after the ship arrived at the island's coral shores.

The boy unpleasantly remembered the wailing screams of Jack Merridew as he was forcefully loaded onto the ship by members of its crew, joyfully remembered the littluns' cries of happiness when they discovered that they were finally going home, and somberly remembered those whom their families would never see again. Those who had perished on the island...

"You alright there, young man?" the boy's thoughts were immediately interrupted by the patrolling officer's question. "We will be arriving at Cornwall early tomorrow morning, son; you had better get some sleep."

Without saying more than a simple "Yes sir," the boy silently led his body bellow deck, into the cabin, and onto his bed. He lay there, overrun by insomnia, knowing well that sleeping would be much worse, as the nightmares would return...

* * *

There was quite a crowd waiting at the docks the next morning; mothers and fathers waiting for their beloved sons as they finally returned home after three months filled with lost hopes.

The littluns were the first to get off the ship and into their crying mother's arms. Every boy was glad to be back home, even the rogue Jack Merridew, who was now being strangled by his sobbing mother.

Two young couples and an old lady were the only childless adults left, all five of them weeping uncontrollably after the captain told them that their dear children would never be coming back home. The boy knew who these people were. He looked sadly into the elder woman's eyes, seeing the grief this person was going through at the loss of her nephew.

The boy hadn't seen anyone familiar yet. Where could he be? Maybe... the thought of it was absurd, but extremely possible... maybe... maybe he won't be coming at all... he won't be coming back... maybe he died during the war, just like she did all those years ago... Tears were staring to build in his eyes... Was he alone now? He tried to hold them back, unsuccessfully... Did he have no home to return to? The tears fell, caressing his cheeks with their warm, salty sensation... What was he going to do now? This scenario had never even crossed his mind... In every single of this dreams, the only good dreams he ever had, he had always been there. But now...

It was then when he saw him.

The boy felt himself running as fast as his legs would carry him, the tears now falling non-stop across his face, embracing the navy-uniformed fair-haired man.

"Father..." the boy managed to say through his tears. For so long had he awaited this moment, throughout every single, desperate moment since he got on that god-forsaken aeroplane.

"Shhh..." His father hushed him comfortingly, though he also had tears falling from his blood-shot eyes. "It's alright, son. You're home now, everything will be fine, Ralph. Everything will be fine..."

And they stood there, father and son reunited at last, under the rising sun's pastel colours and the morning sky's azure glow, never wanting to let go of each other ever again.

**END**

A/N-- I hope you liked it; please review!


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